In that case then, had Dave Stock managed to release the rear fittings, and the lid had lifted away, all be it with probably half of the port screen pillar still attached to it, the seat would have gone immediately without a second pull?
MJR
It was my understanding that this happened to the unfortunate pilot of XR721 (Fg Off Derek Law), this is a brief outline of what happened as re-told to me by his wing man on that sortie.
On take off one of the starters exploded and was ingested into the engine causing immidiate failure, flying on one engine the aircraft gained altitude before the second engine finally succumbed to debris and also failed, it was now time to ‘get out’.
Upon pulling the ejection handle the first part of the sequence released the canopy hooks and pulled the shoot bolts but as the bolts retracted the square spigots that are braised to the end of the bolts broke free and remained in their ‘locked’ position therefore preventing the canopy from leaving the airframe.
Having assesed the situation the pilot attempted and made a successfull dead stick landing in a plaughed field, as the airframe slid accross the field the vibration shook the shoot bolt spigots loose and released the canopy, still in forward motion the canopy left the airframe and pulled the interdictor wire free initiating the seat firing sequence, it was at this time that the pilot was ejected into the tree and was well outside the operating envelope of the seat.
The fleet was grounded as a result and immidiate modifications were made to prevent the shoot bolt failure again, as well as braising the spigot to the end a small bolt was fixed through the joint (this also doubled as an open/locked indicator).
Regards,
John.
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